The collapse of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj statue in Maharashtra has intensified political tensions. On Sunday, the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) held a protest march from Hutatma Chowk to the Gateway of India in Mumbai. They condemned the incident.
In response, the BJP organized a counter-protest in Mumbai’s Dadri area. They accused the MVA of turning the issue into a political matter.
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Anil Desai criticized the Maharashtra government. He said, “The Prime Minister showed concern, but the state government did not. Instead, they accused us of politicizing the issue. This is a deeply emotional matter for Maharashtra. We followed democratic procedures and sought permission from the administration and police.”
Desai called for cooperation from the administration and police. He emphasized that the protest was planned to be orderly. Furthermore, he accused the ruling party of avoiding the issue and demanded the government’s resignation.
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis dismissed the opposition’s protest as political. On the other hand, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Arvind Sawant criticized the authorities for blocking the protest. He described the statue’s fall as an attack on Maharashtra’s honor.
Uddhav Thackeray condemned the situation, stating, “This is an insult to Maharashtra. We are being stopped by our own police from holding a protest in our state. I have never seen such ineffective police.”
Sawant also criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He argued that if Modi truly cared, he would address the situation in Manipur. Sawant defended the protest as a fight for Maharashtra’s honor.